Texans Are Not Sore Losers

Rick Perry’s gave his 1,291-word concession speech Thursday in a “tiny, overstuffed and overheated” room in a Hyatt near the Charleston airport.

“I’ve always believed the mission is greater than the man. As I’ve contemplated the future of this campaign, I’ve come to the conclusion there is no viable path forward for me,” Perry said in his eleven-minute concession speech. He continued:

So now the journey leads us back to Texas, neither discouraged nor disenchanted, but instead rewarded for the experience and resolute to remain in the arena and in the service of a great nation.

How have other Texans who mounted unsuccessful presidential bids made their exits?

Phil Gramm — February 14, 1996After a poor showing in the Louisiana and Iowa caucuses, Senator Phil Gramm dropped his Republican primary bid, delivering a speech to a room full of supporters on Capitol Hill:

I am today ending my campaign for president of the United States. When